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Silver bullet or snake oil?
Debates continue to rage on the use and efficacy of a controversial drug as Covid-19 continues to do its worst in the PHL and the rest of the world.
A
By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz
S the country struggles mightily to tame a surge in Covid-19 cases, the cheap anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin has emerged as the “wonder drug” that may potentially end the contagion.
Though touted by some as the “silver bullet,” it may not be yet, however, the magical solution everyone is looking for, as evidence for its efficacy against the deadly virus remains thin, according to regulators. That evidence may be bolstered by the outcome of local clinical trials scheduled this month. But till then, the verdict is still out, though the word of mouth continues to spread the good news about Ivermectin. In the House of Representatives, hearings have been conducted to urge government regulators to “keep an open mind” on Ivermectin, a drug being used in many countries to prevent and treat the deadly virus. From the experts’ collective
testimony, Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Mike Defensor and Sagip Rep. Rodante Marcoleta said Ivermectin had been widely used to treat a variety of human parasites since its introduction in 1981, and since then is being taken along with vitamins C and D, melatonin, zinc, among others, including steroids for elderly and asthmatic patients. They also said Ivermectin has undergone in vitro studies effectively killing the Covid-19 virus and was found to cure bacterial infection for pneumonia.
Debates on efficacy
CITING Frontline Covid-19 Critical Care Alliance President Dr. Pierre Kory, et al.’s scientific medical paper on the efficacy of Iver-
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 47.9790
mectin, which is now published in the American Journal of Therapeutics, Marcoleta asserted that Ivermectin is effective in treating Covid-19. “This study concludes that meta-analyses based on 18 randomized controlled treatments of Ivermectin in Covid-19 have found large, statistically significant reduction in mortality, time to clinical recovery and time to viral clearance. Also, results from various controlled prophylaxis trials showed significantly reduced risks of contracting Covid-19 with regular use of Ivermectin,” Marcoleta added. Defensor said they are pushing for Ivermectin as a cure because the poor needed to gain access to an inexpensive therapeutic to fight Covid-19 “because the drugs the Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are promoting are for the rich.” His exhibit A: “Remdesivir, for instance, costs from P12,000 to P48,000 per vial, and you need two vials a day. On the other hand, Ivermectin costs only P35 per tablet, and only one tablet is needed daily. The DOH and FDA are allowing the use of Remdesivir, while cracking down on Ivermectin. Their bias is for the rich and against the poor,”
DEFENSOR: “The drugs the Department of Health and the Philippine Food and Drug Administration are promoting are for the rich.”
Defensor alleged. Nonetheless, the DOH and the FDA reiterated that the agencies do not recommend the use of Ivermectin for the treatment of Covid-19 due to insufficient scientific evidence. FDA Director General Eric Domingo told lawmakers that any use of Ivermectin for the prevention or treatment of Covid 19 should be avoided as the benefits and safety for this purpose has not yet been established. “We have said this many times before and we will say it again. We do not recommend the use of Ivermectin for the prevention and treatment of Covid-19 as
DOMINGO: “We have said this many times before and we will say it again. We do not recommend the use of Ivermectin for the prevention and treatment of Covid-19 as the benefits of this anti-parasitic drug for this purpose have not been established.”
the benefits of this anti-parasitic drug for this purpose have not been established. President Rodrigo Duterte has also ordered DOST [Department of Science and Technology] to conduct a clinical trial to test the efficacy of Ivermectin against Covid-19. Let’s wait for the results,” Domingo said in a news statement. In a briefing on April 15, Domingo told President Duterte that high doses of Ivermectin may cause pulmonary problems, neurologic and brain damage. Citing studies done in Australia, Domingo added that, “Although
it is a safe medicine and has been used largely for the past 40 years for animals and humans, there are also side effects when the doses are too high and patients may get a fever and liver damage.” Currently, the Philippines FDA said the registered Ivermectin products in the country for human use are in topical formulations under prescription use only, saying this is used for the treatment of external parasites such as head lice and skin conditions such as rosacea. The FDA also said the registered oral and intravenous preparations of Ivermectin are veterinary products which are approved for use in animals for the prevention of heartworm disease and treatment of internal and external parasites in certain animal species. As of April 27, the FDA said, five hospitals have already secured compassionate special permits (CSP) to use Ivermectin on Covid-19 patients. Among the more notable personalities reported to be using it as prophylactic are former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and the incumbent Senate President Vicente Sotto III. Also, Defensor said, “everyone from the Cabinet, doctors, police Continued on A2
n JAPAN 0.4399 n UK 66.6524 n HK 6.1766 n CHINA 7.4236 n SINGAPORE 35.9960 n AUSTRALIA 37.3277 n EU 57.8819 n SAUDI ARABIA 12.7948
Source: BSP (May 7, 2021)
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A2 Sunday, May 9, 2021
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World turns to China for Covid vaccines after India, US stumble By Iain Marlow, Sudhi Ranjan Sen & James Paton
T
mean to say that we have to be rude and disrespectful.”
Bloomberg
Confident of supplies
HE world is fast becoming ever more reliant on China for vaccines, with India’s raging virus outbreak stifling its ability to deliver on supply deals, even as the US tries to position itself as a champion of wider access. Over the past few weeks, leaders of some of the globe’s most populous nations have sought more shots from China despite concerns about their effectiveness. Demand is expected to rise even further if the World Health Organization, as expected, authorizes vaccines from China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd. and Sinopharm Group Co. Ltd., allowing developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America to access them through Covax, the global vaccination effort. “China has become not just the largest exporter,” said Yanzhong Huang, a China specialist and senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations. “In many countries it has become the only option.” China’s reliability as a vaccine supplier is increasing its geopolitical clout at a time when the US and the EU have been slow confronting the global pandemic as Covid hot spots rage out of control in India, Brazil and elsewhere. Compounding the difficulties, India’s crisis has dried up vaccine supplies and prompted many countries to turn toward China. Amid this backdrop, the US, for months preoccupied with its domestic vaccination push, has come under intense criticism for hoarding shots at the expense of a global response.
Covid-fighting arsenal
PRESIDENT Joe Biden made it clear this week that the US intends to
start playing a more active role. On Wednesday, the US threw its weight behind a movement to waive patents on Covid-19 vaccines to allow other countries to manufacture them. He’s vowing that the US will become an “arsenal for fighting Covid-19” globally as outbreaks elsewhere in the world risk spawning dangerous variants that could prolong the crisis. The administration’s efforts so far include plans to give away 60 million doses of AstraZeneca Plc’s shot and to ramp up production of doses made by Moderna Inc., Pfizer Inc. and Johnson & Johnson. In the meantime, countries from Uruguay to Senegal to Indonesia have few places to turn apart from Beijing—and China is making the most of it. The country has already shipped out about 240 million doses, more than all other nations combined, and has committed to providing another 500 million, according to Airfinity Ltd., a science information and analytics company. India, the world’s third-biggest supplier after China and the European Union, had exported 67 million doses to nearly 100 countries until the devastating Covid-19 outbreak prompted it to halt most deliveries in recent weeks. The WHO is weighing data on Chinese vaccines before a decision on clearance, which is expected in days or weeks. Access to the shots will provide a boost to the WHO-backed
A HEALTHCARE worker administers a dose of the Sinovac vaccine in Bali, on February 28, 2021. BLOOMBERG
Covax effort, which relied heavily on the Serum Institute of India before the clampdown on exports. Covax has shipped more than 50 million doses to 121 countries and territories, well short of its goal and just a fifth of what the US has administered domestically. A new pact with Moderna has expanded Covax’s portfolio, but only a fraction of the 500 million doses it pledged will be available this year. WHO authorization of Chinese vaccines could make an immediate difference for governments waiting for that stamp of approval before giving them to citizens. Sri Lanka, for instance, has so far used less than 1 percent of its 600,000 Sinopharm shots on foreign Chinese workers. Some experts, though, are worried about the potential publichealth impact of widely deploying Chinese vaccines that have demonstrated lower efficacy rates than those made Pfizer and Moderna. And Chinese shots have already been hampered by a lack of trial data and a preference for vaccines from the Western companies.
“The WHO approval of Chinese vaccines will, in the medium term, help to strengthen Chinese power and authority within the region,” said Nicholas Thomas, an associate professor at the City University of Hong Kong and editor of several books on global health and foreign policy. “However, the low efficacy rate of the Chinese vaccines means that this is an easily contestable position if the Western countries can ramp up their own supplies.”
Seize the moment
THAT’S all the more reason for China to seize the moment while it can. Foreign Minister Wang Yi vowed last week that China would provide vaccines to countries that had been dependent on India during a call with counterparts from South Asian nations. On the same day, Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe secured an agreement to enhance military cooperation with Bangladesh. The country later approved emergency use of the Sinopharm shot after 15 million doses it paid for from the Serum Institute failed to arrive.
Last month Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to oppose “vaccine nationalism” in a call with Indonesia leader Joko Widodo, whose government green-lit Sinopharm for emergencies soon afterward. Indonesia also secured as many as 15 million more shots of Sinovac. “In plain view, India’s export ban has made Indonesia increasingly dependent on vaccine supplies from China,” said Pandu Riono, an epidemiologist at the University of Indonesia. Other countries have had to play nice with China on geopolitical spats. India’s export delays deprived the Philippines of its biggest vaccine order at a time it’s sparring with China over a territorial dispute. President Rodrigo Duterte rebuked his top diplomat this week for an expletive-laced tweet denouncing Beijing over the spat while his government negotiates with Sinovac for a monthly delivery of as many as 4 million doses. “China remains our benefactor,” Duterte said. “Just because we have a conflict with China doesn’t
SOME countries relying on Chinese vaccines such as Chile have moved relatively swiftly. However, worries persist about their potency: A Chilean government study found in April that Sinovac’s vaccine is 67 percent effective in preventing symptomatic Covid-19 infections and wards off 80 percent of fatalities. In Israel, meanwhile, Pfizer’s mRNA shot was found to be 92 percent effective in preventing symptomatic Covid-19 infections and 99 percent effective at preventing deaths—though it’s harder to transport and must be stored at ultralow temperatures. India is confident it can ramp up supplies again in a few months once the current outbreak is contained, according to a Foreign Ministry official in New Delhi who asked not to be identified. The government sees China trying to exploit India’s crisis but is confident that other countries understand its predicament, the official added. “The shipments are being repurposed for domestic purposes given the demand,” said Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi. “We have already stated that our external supplies would be done keeping in mind our domestic requirements.” Meanwhile, from Pakistan to Brazil and Africa, many ordinary people have expressed a lack of confidence in Chinese vaccines. In some areas of Africa, which is using shots from the US, India, Russia and China, skepticism on vaccines mirrors that in parts of the developed world. “We are being told that these vaccines are meant to get rid of Africans, so for now I will watch and observe those that have been inoculated,” said Passmore Mwanza, a 29-year-old worker in Zimbabwe. “I don’t want to be part of an experiment of an outcome I don’t know.”
Ivermectin: Silver bullet or snake oil? Continued from A1
and military officials are drinking Ivermectin. I know those who sympathize will not deny the poor access to the Ivermectin drug.”
Clinical trial
AMID the debates over the reported efficacy to prevent and to treat Covid-19, President Duterte has ordered the DOST to conduct its own clinical trial on the use of Ivermectin. DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development head Dr. Jaime Montoya said the agency is targeting to start the clinical trial for Ivermectin by the end of May or first week of June among 1,200 mild to moderate Covid-19 patients in Metro Manila. The DOST said clinical trial projects will require a minimum of six months and may extend to years. Earlier, the agency said there is no need to conduct another clinical trial in the Philippines as there are almost 20 completed and 40 ongoing clinical trials around the world, as reported in Clinicaltrials.gov, exploring the use of Ivermectin formulations against Covid-19. But pending the results of the clinical trial, Congressmen Defensor and Marcoleta recently launched “Ivermectin Pan-Three,” and distributed free capsules of the anti-parasitic drug in Quezon City. Defensor said people were required first to fill up a form and
sign a waiver before medical practitioners onsite prescribed them with the drug. Around 2,000 Ivermectin tablets have been given to the residents of Barangay Matandang Balara in Quezon City. According to Defensor, they are not violating any law because the distribution complies with the regulations of the FDA; and human-grade Ivermectin capsules are allowed with a doctor’s prescription. Defensor claimed that the FDA told them that licensed compounding pharmacies are allowed to compound Ivermectin, as long as such is made by a licensed compounding laboratory with a doctor’s prescription. The DOH disclosed, however, that it has received reports of alleged invalid prescriptions being given to individuals during the Ivermectin Pan-Three. With this, the DOH gave assurances that it would officially endorse the reports to the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) to investigate the veracity of the reports and impose sanctions as deemed necessary, based on existing laws. The DOH and the FDA also echoed the statements of various medical and pharmacist associations on the distributed prescriptions and strongly advised the public on what constitutes a valid prescription. Defensor admitted that a prescription for Ivermectin handed out during the drug distribution did not contain a physician’s name and a license number.
A RESIDENT of Barangay Old Balara in Quezon City shows a prescription for Ivermectin he received after Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor and Sagip Rep. Rodante Marcoleta distributed “human-grade” Ivermectin to residents. The Concerned Doctors and Citizens of the Philippines has endorsed the drug to help prevent Covid-19. The Department of Health said only hospitals are given compassionate special permits to administer it to Covid-19 patients, but the Food and Drug Administration’s qualifying statements leave a gray area. Meanwhile, local clinical trials start in May. BERNARD TESTA
With this, the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) reminded doctors not to prescribe the use of Ivermectin outside the hospitals that got the CSPs. The Healthcare Professionals Alliance Against Covid-19, meanwhile, asked authorities to look into possible violations of Republic Act 10918, or the Philippine Pharmacy Act. Under the law, compounding in quantities greatly in
excess of single therapeutic doses, without the presence and supervision of a duly registered and licensed pharmacist, is illegal.
Online consultations
FOR his part, Dr. Benigno Agbayani, head of Concerned Doctors and Citizens of the Philippines (CDC-PH), who was also present during the Ivermectin distribution, said they will continue to con-
duct online consultations for those who want to take Ivermectin. “As doctors, our role is to make sure everything is possible to help our patients…and unless they can prove to me through a rational scientific way that this drug is a dangerous drug or it doesn’t work, I guess that’s the best way to treat it, not by fear, not by threats,” he added. Dr. Allan Landrito, also of CDC-PH, and an advocate for the use of Ivermectin, said the Philippines should look at what other countries have achieved after using Ivermectin. Landrito said Ivermectin allows natural infection to occur but prevents the disease from developing. “Ivermectin is a natural product discovered in 1975. It has properties against dengue, chikungunya, even SARS Covid,” he said. He stressed that the safety and efficacy of Ivermectin for human use has been established and it has been described as having zero impact on human biochemistry. Ivermectin is reportedly widely used as a Covid-19 drug in India, South Africa and many Latin American countries.
Spare the doctors
DEFENSOR and Marcoleta, meanwhile, sought to protect the doctors who prescribed the experimental drug to poor people who need it most. “It is seldom that I ask for help and support for my advocacies and beliefs. As a public official, I have accepted the fact that I am ‘fair
game’ and people may attack me and I just I have to roll with the punches and hope that my arguments will come to light,” Defensor said in a social-media post. Defensor said if there was any irregularity in his and Marcoleta’s project, it is they who are accountable for it. “If there was anything wrong with our distribution of this Covid-19 wonder drug Ivermectin, we are the ones answerable, not our volunteer doctors and other medical practitioners who just wanted to help our poor people,” Defensor said. Marcoleta also explained that the Ivermectin event conveyed a clear message that the said agencies failed to grasp. Marcoleta said Section 2 of Executive Order 121 authorizes the FDA director general to issue emergency use authorization for Ivermectin when the following circumstances are present, namely: (a) based on the totality of evidence available, including data available from adequate and well-known controlled trials, it is reasonable to believe that the drug or vaccine may be effective to prevent, diagnose or treat Covid-19; (b) the known and potential benefits of the drug or vaccine when used to diagnose, prevent or treat Covid-19 outweigh the known and potential risks of the drug or vaccine, if any; and (c) there is no adequate, approved and available alternative to the drug or vaccine for diagnosing, preventing or treating Covid-19.
www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Angel R. Calso
TheWorld BusinessMirror
Sunday, May 9, 2021
A3
Why patents on Covid jabs are so contentious T
he Biden administration’s call to lift patent protections on Covid-19 vaccines to help poor parts of the world get more doses has drawn praise from some countries and health advocates. But it has run into resistance from the pharmaceutical industry and others, who say it won’t help curb the outbreak any time soon and will hurt innovation. Here’s a look at what patents do and why they matter:
How do drug patents work?
Patents reward innovation by preventing competitors from simply copying a company’s discovery and
launching a rival product. In the US, patents on medicines typically last 20 years from when they are filed, which usually happens once a drugmaker thinks it has an important or lucrative drug. Because it often takes a decade to get a drug approved, companies typically enjoy about a dozen years of competition-free sales. But drugmakers usually find ways to improve their product or widen its use, and they secure additional patents that can extend their monopoly for many more years.
Most experimental drugs fail at some point during the years of laboratory, animal and finally human testing. Averaging in the cost of those flops, it typically costs over $1 billion to bring a drug from discovery to regulatory approval. Without the prospect of years of sales without competition, there’s far less incentive to take that risk.
world. Support for the waiver idea floated by India and South Africa in October has been growing in other countries while the outbreak worsens in some places, especially India.
Why is the US backing efforts to lift protections on Covid-19 vaccines?
Medicines are incredibly expensive to develop.
The Biden administration has been under intense pressure, including from many Democrats in Congress, to get more Covid-19 vaccines to the rest of the
The US and some other wealthy countries lead the world in many areas of research and innovation, particularly medicines. Aside from the prestige that confers, pharmaceutical companies provide millions of well-paying jobs, generate tax revenue and provide new medicines that can save or improve lives.
Why is patent protection so important to drugmakers?
Why have the US and others opposed lifting protections in the past?
Drugmakers and their trade groups spend millions every year lobbying governments to maintain the status quo on patents.
Why is the industry so opposed to the effort?
In a word, money. In the US, pharmaceutical companies can charge whatever they want for their medicines. They typically raise prices twice a year, often doubling or tripling them during a drug’s patentprotected years. That makes the big, long-established drugmakers among the world’s most profitable companies. But a huge amount of innovation also comes from start-up companies, which rely heavily
on investors to fund early research. Without the prospect of a big payday, it would be much harder to attract investment. Les Funtleyder, health-care portfolio manager at E Squared Asset Management, thinks the industry is less worried about protecting its patents for the Covid-19 vaccines than about the “slippery slope” such a precedent could create.
What is the procedure for lifting patent protections? The decision is up to the 164-member World Trade Continued on A4
Sunday, May 9, 2021
A4
The World BusinessMirror
Wall Street giants get swept up by India’s ferocious Covid wave
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bout 8,300 miles east of Wall Street, on a stretch of Bangalore’s Outer Ring Road, sits what was once the heart of the global financial industry’s back office. Before the pandemic, this cluster of glass-and-steel towers housed thousands of employees at firms like Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and UBS Group AG who played critical roles in everything from risk management to customer service and compliance. Now the buildings are eerily empty. And with case counts soaring across Bangalore and much of India, work-from-home arrangements that have sustained Wall Street’s back-office operations for months are coming under intense strain. A growing number of employees are either sick or scrambling to find critical medical supplies such as oxygen for relatives or friends. Standard Chartered Plc said last week that about 800 of its 20,000 staffers in India were infected. As many as 25 percent of employees in some teams at UBS are absent, said an executive at the firm who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of losing his job. At Wells Fargo & Co.’s offices in Bangalore and Hyderabad, work on co-branded cards, balance transfers and reward programs is running behind schedule, an executive said. While banks have so far avoided major disruptions by shifting tasks to other offshore hubs, India’s Covid crisis has exposed a little-discussed vulnerability for companies that have spent decades outsourcing functions to the country. India’s outbreak is intensifying even as vaccinations fuel economic recoveries in other parts of the world, heightening fears of a back-office bottleneck at a time when Wall Street firms have rarely been busier. “This is not a local, India-only problem, this is a global crisis, said D.D. Mishra, senior director analyst at researcher Gartner Inc. The current wave will be ignificantly bigger and organizations with India-based staff ill need to take
action to plan for and mitigate if needed, Mishra and his colleagues wrote in a note last week. Nasscom, the key lobby group for India’s $194-billion outsourcing industry and its almost 5 million employees, has downplayed the threat to operations. But Mishra and fellow analysts at Gartner say they’re fielding a daily flood of calls from anxious global clients asking about the Covid-19 situation. India’s total coronavirus infections have exceeded 21 million, of which about 7 million were added since mid-April. The state of Karnataka, whose capital is Bangalore, reported more than 50,000 new infections for the latest 24-hour period for the first time, almost half of them in the city. Experts have warned the crisis has the potential to worsen in the coming weeks, with one model predicting as many as 1,018,879 deaths by the end of July, quadrupling from the current official count of 230,168. A model prepared by government advisers suggests the wave could peak in the coming days, but the group’s projections have been changing and were wrong last month. In Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai, the three main bases for the financial giants’ operations, infection rates have reached such alarming levels that local governments have ordered stringent restrictions on movement. While the crisis has hit swathes of the nation’s $2.9-trillion economy, the latest wave has notably affected the twenty-something segment of the population that
dominates outsourcing companies and is hard to replace. Most of them are English-speaking, technically skilled workers.
Continuity planning
For now, back-office units are marshaling part-time workers or asking employees to perform multiple roles and re-assigning staff to make up for those who are absent. They are scheduling overtime, deferring low-priority projects and conducting pandemic continuity planning exercises for multiple locations should the virus wave intensify. A Wells Fargo employee said some work is getting transferred to the Philippines, where staff is working overnight shifts to pick up the slack. The San Franciscobased bank employs about 35,000 workers in India to help process car, home and personal loans, make collections, and assist customers who need to open, update or close their bank accounts. The company didn’t respond to a request for comment. An employee at UBS said that with many of the bank’s 8,000 staff in Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad absent, work is being shipped to centers such as Poland. The Swiss bank’s workers in India handle trade settlement, transaction reporting, investment banking support and wealth management. Many of the tasks require sameday or next-day turnarounds. A UBS representative didn’t respond to a request for comment. With uncertainty surrounding how soon the Indian government will contain the crisis, one executive who asked not to be identified likened the situation to flying blind without any idea how many employees will be affected from one week to the next.
Rebalancing loads
“We are looking carefully at how we can rebalance loads, Standard Chartered Chief Executive Officer Bill Winters said on an earnings call last week, noting that some work has been routed to Kuala Lumpur, Tianjin and Warsaw. In any case, we think we are very well provided for. Barclays Plc CEO Jes Staley said some functions were shifted to the UK from India. Call volumes have increased and people are distressed, he said, adding that signs of pressure were something to watch for. The bank has 20,000 employees in India.
Last year, when a sudden lockdown ordered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi saw these banks scrambling to keep their operations r unning, the European Banking Authority said the push to outsource support functions “exposed these banks to operational risks.” After asking their employees to work from home en masse last year, most of them have continued to operate at near 100 percent work-from-home levels. Natwest Group Plc’s work force in Bangalore, Delhi and the southern city of Chennai—accounting for a fifth of its global total—is completely set up to work from home.
Management bandwidth
Similarly, thousands of Goldman employees are working from home, doing high-end business tasks such as risk modeling, accounting compliance and app building. A representative for the bank said workflows can be absorbed by the wider team if needed and there’s been no material impact so far. Citigroup Inc. said there’s currently no significant disruption, while Deutsche Bank AG said employees were working seamlessly from home. Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan Chase & Co. detailed relief efforts they are undertaking, but didn’t elaborate on the impact on their operations. Last week, HSBC Holdings Plc Chief Executive Officer Noel Quinn said he’s “watching it closely” and ruled out any material impact at this stage. Besides worrying about disruptions to operations, employee well-being and securing medical help are also taking up a lot of management bandwidth at every large outsourcing unit. At a recent all-hands, virtual corporate strategy team meeting at Accenture Plc, for instance, the talk wasn’t about the usual payraises or promotions. Instead, worker after worker demanded flexibility, reduced workloads and no-meeting Fridays, an executive said, asking not to be named discussing internal company matter. Their size has become a hindrance, one executive said, but it’s not clear where else they can go for talent and scale, he added. “We are telling clients they need to relax service levels and reduce expectations for the coming few weeks, said Mishra, the Gartner analyst. This not a normal situation. Bloomberg News
UN: Many women in poor nations can’t say, ‘No sex’ By Edith M. Lederer
U
The Associated Press
NITED NATIONS—Less than half the women in 57 developing countries are denied the right to say “no” to sex with their partners, to decide whether to use contraception, or to seek health care, a new UN report said. The report by the UN Population Fund said the data covers only about one-quarter of the world’s countries, over half in Africa. But the findings “paint an alarming picture of the state of bodily autonomy for millions of women and girls” that don’t have the power to make choices about their bodies and their futures without fear or violence, it said. The fund said only 55 percent of girls and women in the 57 countries are able to decide whether to
have sex, whether to use contraception and when to seek health care such as sexual and reproductive health services. “The denial of bodily autonomy is a violation of women and girls’ fundamental human rights that reinforces inequalities and perpetuates violence arising from gender discrimination,” said the fund’s executive director, Dr. Natalia Kanem. “The fact that nearly half of women still cannot make their own decisions about whether or not to have sex, use contraception or seek health care should outrage us all.” According to the report, “My Body Is My Own,” percentages vary across region. While 76 percent of adolescent girls and women in east and southeast Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean can make decisions on sex, contraception and health care, less than 50 percent can in
sub-Saharan Africa and central and south Asia, the report said. T here are a lso dif ferences within regions. Citing one example, the report said that in three countries in sub-Saharan Africa—Mali, Niger and Senegal— less than 10 percent of adolescent girls and women control all three of those decisions. Regional difference between countries on the three decisions are less pronounced elsewhere but still vary widely, ranging from 33 percent to 77 percent in central and south Asia, from 40 percent to 81 percent in east and southeast Asia, and from 59 percent to 87 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean, the report said. The fund, which now calls itself the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, also c ited i nconsi stenc ies w it h i n countries.
In Mali, for example, 77 percent of women take independent or joint decisions on contraception but just 22 percent are able to do the same when it comes to health care, the report said. In Ethiopia only 53 percent of women can say “no” to sex, while 94 percent can independently or jointly make decisions about contraception. Kanem said in the forward to the report that many women are also denied the right to choose the person they marry, or the right time to have a child “because of race, sex, sexual orientation, age or ability.” “ R ea l , su st a i ned prog ress largely depends on uprooting gender inequality and all forms of discr imination, and transfor m i ng t he soc i a l a nd eco nomic structures that maintain them,” she said. “In this, men must become a l lies.”
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Why patents on Covid jabs are so contentious Continued from A3 Organization, which administers complex trade rules among nations. And all of them would have to agree for it to happen. If waivers are approved, vaccine developers would then have to share their know-how for the very complex manufacturing.
Has this ever happened before? There’s no precedent for vaccines, but two decades ago WTO members passed a temporary waiver allowing poor countries to import cheap generic drugs for HIV, tuberculosis and malaria amid health crises. That temporary waiver eventually was made permanent.
What would lifting protections on Covid-19 vaccines accomplish? That’s not entirely clear, but drugmakers and analysts say waiving patent rights won’t do much to get Covid-19 vaccines to developing countries faster. That’s because making them is far more complex than following a recipe, requiring factories with specialized equipment, highly trained workers and stringent quality control. There is also little available factory capacity. In addition, many raw materials to make the vaccines, along with vials, stoppers and other components, are in very short supply, which won’t change soon. AP
Heading back to the office? Ask for air filters, not bleach
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s vaccinations speed up and companies look to reopen their offices, workers want something in return: confidence that it’s safe to be there, elbow to elbow with colleagues they ’ve encountered only on screens for months. Employers are touting measures to curtail the risk of infection with Covid-19, but not every action is equally effective, according to experts. Some of the most widely adopted steps may not help much at all. M o re t h a n a ye a r i nto t h e p a n d e m i c, scientists are increasingly focusing on airborne transmission as the biggest culprit. For the o f f i ce - b o u n d, t h at ra i s e s t h e i m p o r t a n ce of better ventilation and air filtration, and undercuts the rationale for the ceaseless scrubbing of surfaces with disinfectants that many employers have adopted. “I dont want to hear about your sur face cleaning procedures, because that is a waste of time and money,” said Linsey Marr, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech who studies the interac tion of viruses with the atmosphere. But tell me about your ventilation. How often is the air changing out in the space? And tell me about your filtration.
Called back
While flexible working arrangements may outlast the pandemic, many people will soon be commuting again. In the UK, where vaccinations are outpacing most of the world, employees last week returned to offices in numbers not seen since last March. JPMorgan Chase & Co. this week became the first major US bank to mandate a return for its entire US work force, on a rotational basis, as soon as July. Af t e r a l l t h e s e m o n t h s, i t m a y s e e m surprising that there’s still a debate over how the coronavirus spreads, and how best to stop it. That’s par tly because of an overemphasis on the risk of so- called fomite transmission, which involves picking up the virus from a co nt a m i n ate d s u r f a ce l i ke a d o o r kn o b o r elevator button, according to Marr and other scientists. Earlier this month, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines downplaying that threat. Each contact with a contaminated surface may have less than a one -in-10,000 chance of causing Covid-19, the agency said. “There is little scientific support for routine use of disinfectants in community settings, w h e t h e r i n d o o r o r o u t d o o r,” t h e a g e n c y concluded. For airborne transmission, the threat isn’t from large, virus-laden droplets that quickly fall to the ground, but from small particles that can linger in the air for hours, building up in poorly ventilated indoor spaces, while quickly dispersing outdoors. Confusion over that has exacerbated the pandemic, creating policies that often punish people for meeting outside and increasing the likelihood of them gathering in homes and offices that are breeding grounds for Covid, according to Germany’s Association for Aerosol Research. The group recently published an open letter to Chancellor Angela Merkel, saying politicians need to stop worrying about parks and beer gardens and focus on getting schools, nursing homes and workplaces to install air cleaners and filters.
Dominant route? Still, not all scientists are convinced that airborne transmission is the most impor tant path, with some pointing to a lack of data. Ye t o t h e r s re s p o n d t h a t h a s n’t s t o p p e d public health officials from concluding in the past that diseases, including measles and tuberculosis, are primarily spread by par ticles in the air. “The airborne route is likely to be dominant, wrote a collection of exper ts, led by Trisha Greenhalgh, a professor of primary care health sciences at the University of Oxford, in a recent commentary in The Lancet . One of the 10 reasons they cited to support that view was that many infections are touched off by people who have no symptoms. Because they aren’t coughing or sneezing, they primarily emit the virus while talking. And talking produces mostly tiny particles that spread by air, rather than projectiles that quickly fall to surfaces.
‘Hygiene theater’
U ltimat e ly, the risk of infec tion boils down to the intensit y, duration and frequenc y of exposure to the virus, according to Joseph G. Allen, an associate professor at Har vard and direc tor of the universit y’s healthy buildings program. He has worked with companies and groups on reopening plans, from big finance and technology firms to Broadway theaters and prisons. He sympathizes with organizations that have resorted to deep cleaning in recent months, despite the fact that he considers it “hygiene theater.” It’s highly visible, and reassuring to people returning after months away. With the CDC’s pivot toward the threat of airborne transmission, the agenc y rolled o u t d e t a i l e d g u i d e l i n e s o n m a t t e r s l i ke ventilation and filtration. Employees worried about coming back to the office should ask employers whether they ’re meeting those s t a n d a rd s, w h i c h a re to u g h e r t h a n m o s t building codes, Allen said.
Fresh air
Another increasingly popular precaution is the installation of plastic dividers between desks in open-plan offices. For Allen, the plexiglass barriers are of questionable benefit in most cases, and could impede the airflow needed for proper ventilation. He cited an instance at a school office in Massachusetts where investigators, using a smoke test after a number of infections, found that the dividers had contributed to a buildup of coronavirus. O ver time, infec tions will diminish as more people get vaccinated, and concerns about catching Covid-19 at the office will probably recede, according to Marr. But the lessons learned in battling the virus could continue to reduce the incidence of colds and flu, she said. As for elevators, one of the more worrying spaces in large buildings, Allen said they aren’t necessarily high-risk areas for infection. Lifts often have decent airflow, and people typically don’t ride in them for ver y long, nor ver y frequently. The bigger risk? Limiting the number of people in them, leading to crowds waiting in a building’s entryway. “I recommend putting a sign in there that says, ‘Space as much as you can. Wear a mask. Dont talk,’” Allen said. People will probably appreciate that anyway. Bloomberg News
Science Sunday BusinessMirror
www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Lyn Resurreccion
Sunday, May 9, 2021 A5
Finding happiness, pandemic or not By Rizal Raoul Reyes
way to start in times of uncertainty. It also makes other people happier and better off,” he said.
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a Bamba,” a Mexican folk song popularized by Richie Valens in 1958, was the inspiration of the “Bamba Model” on happiness and fulfillment that is being promoted by Prof. Raj Raghunathan of the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas, Austin. Raghunathan outlined the elements of his Bamba Model that stands for “Basic needs, Autonomy, Mastery, Belonging and Abundance culture” in a recent webinar on “Finding Happiness in the Midst of the Pandemic.” The event was organized by the Department of Science and Technology’s Mimaropa Regional Office (DOST-Mimaropa), in partnership with the DOST’s Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD). DOST-Mimaropa Regional Director Dr. Ma. Josefina P. Abilay said the webinar aimed at sharing researchbased ways to be happy “as we try to navigate unfamiliar paths brought by the pandemic.”
70% of stressed due to pandemic Raghunathan, who has spent years researching and understanding happiness, said that his recent research showed that “70 percent of people are more stressed or anxious due to the pandemic.” The common reasons include “unproductivity, overwhelming feelings, loneliness, health problems and jobrelated insecurities, which topped the list.” Consequently, this affected people’s creativity and productivity, he said. “Studies have shown that people showed up more for work when they are happy. Happier people are better teammates and are more creative, objective and productive. Happier
Pandemic or normal time; compassion and kindness
Prof. Raj Raghunathan from McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas, Austin, and an expert on happiness. DOST-Mimaropa Screenshsot
The “Bamba Model” of happiness chart pie of Prof. Raj Raghunathan. DOST-Mimaropa people even earn more money,” he explained. Citing the study of Prof. Ed Diener, dubbed as the “Father of Happiness,” he said “happier people, on average, have higher salary by 32 percent.”
Basic needs are unmet On “Basic needs,” R aghunathan, known as “Dr. Happy-smarts,” explained that in a material world, an individual could not be happy if his or her basic needs are not met. Interestingly, in a Third World country like the Philippines, it is the usual scenario. Moreover, this has become the major concern during the pandemic. Raghunathan said the domains of basic needs—namely physical, emotional and mental needs—must be met to ensure the happiness of an individual. “You obviously need your basic needs to be fulfilled if you want to be happy at work,” he said
Economic contraction In a paper, titled “Covid Economics for an Economy of Life and Climate Justice,” that was delivered at the recent World Social Forum 2021 online meeting, Rosario Guzman said the Philippines produced the largest economic contraction among its neighbors, and third among 25 countries in South, East and Southeast Asia. According to Guzman, the problem has been exacerbated as the Philippines delivered the smallest fiscal response to fight Covid-19 in Southeast Asia that was equal to only 2.8 percent of its gross national product, compared to 14.7 percent for Singapore, 8.3 percent for Thailand, 6.2 percent for Malaysia, 4.9 percent for Vietnam and 3.7 percent or Indonesia. She pointed out that it would be hard for the majority of Filipinos to achieve its basic needs as the country is not known to be pushing wealth equality coming into the pandemic.
“On the contrary, over time, we had had one of the most skewed income distributions in the region, with 66 percent of families earning below $438 a month, and another 29 percent earning between that range and $1,250 a month,” Guzman explained. “This is while 0.04 percent of the families, the super-rich, have a monthly income of over $1 million,” she added.
Autonomy: Not micromanaged R aghunathan said “Autonomy” enables a worker the freedom without being micromanaged by superiors. Having the freedom to make decisions will make the worker feel happy. ”Happy people are the most productive in an organization,” he said. “Having productive people will make the organization more efficient and profitable,” he added. He pointed out that money becomes an important part of autonomy because it gives a person the power to do things he or she wants—such as to live in a place he or she wants and the career he or she aspires for.
Mastery: Getting better at work Raghunathan said the “Mastery” of
a certain disciple or endeavour makes people happy. People are happy when they feel they are getting better at what they are doing, he explained. However, a balance is needed as a person needs to determine if he or she can really excel in that field.
Belonging: Interact with colleagues Happy people are in a better position to interact with their colleagues and friends is they have the sense of “Belonging,” he said. Moreover, people with a positive disposition can easily blend and interact with their colleagues. “People who can adopt in a warm disposition can lead to better teamwork in an organization,” he said.
Abundance sends positive vibe Raghunathan said having an “Abundance culture” in the workplace will send a positive vibe. He added that this fosters te a mwork a nd h a r mony a mong the staf f which w i l l lead to higher productiv it y. “Operating in abundance is a good
He noted that the sources of happiness would apply whether in the state of a pandemic or normal time. “Happiness is not just a feel-good emotion. It is useful to be happy. Happier people are healthier, have better functioning immune systems, and live longer,” he said. Raghunathan said that another key to truly feel happy at this time is to be “compassionate and kind to other people.” “In this time of the pandemic, the more people we can help with our resources, the happier we become. In helping other people, you also help yourself,” he said.
DOST achievements In his speech, Science Secretar y Fortunato T. de la Peña said he considers the achievements of DOST as the peak moments in relating to Raghunathan’s lesson. These include the breakthroughs in technologies and research outputs, among others. “There is nothing better than the feeling of happiness when you help somebody and be connected with the people,” de said. “I learned that I can lose all my cash helping other people but still feel happy,” de la Peña said. The webinar attracted more than 1,200 local and international participants via Zoom and Facebook among employees from DOST and other national government agencies, state universities and colleges, higher education institutes, civil society organizations and private individuals.
Davao coco farmers, processors get assistance from DOST XI
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oconut farmers and processors in Davao Region will soon get boost through the science and technology (S&T) interventions from Department of Science and Technology Region XI (DOST XI). In a meeting with farmers on April 28, DOST XI Regional Director Dr. Anthony C. Sales said DOST will be assisting the coconut industry stakeholders
by providing appropriate technologies to level up their processed products for their livelihood and economic activities. Sales added that DOST XI’s laboratories are open to analyze their products to ensure quality and food safety that meet the industry standard and requirement, as well as avoid product rejection. He said the office will also be extending
innovation support for farmers to put up their own processing facilities in their own farms. DOST XI, in partnership and coordination with the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), also targets to provide interventions that shall train and equip farmers and processors with knowledge and skills on proper handling, harvesting, and
processing to improve the quality and productivity of their harvest. The meeting, held in Tugbok, Davao City, was organized by Learning By Doing Technology Inc., headed by Engr. Reyman Zamora, and was graced by PCA XI OIC Regional Manager Juvy Alayon, Tesda Secretary Isidro S. Lapeña, Tesda XI Regional Director Engr. Lorenzo Macapili and other Tesda officials.
Math wiz bags PMO top prize, his 3rd year in a row Testing of iLawà in Masbate
iLawa: TIP’s pollution-charged battery lights up fishers' path and cleans lake
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esearchers from the Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP) have developed a battery that lights up the path of fisherfolks and cleans the polluted water at the same time. Dubbed iLawa, derived from the Filipino phrase ilaw mula sa lawa (light from the lake), the researchers developed the battery technology from recycled aluminum cans to help light the path of fisherfolks and clean lakes when submerged underwater. The researchers explained that the battery gets its power from the electrolytes in the water due to the presence of electric charges. The battery cleans the water by removing its phosphate content. Phospates in lakes come from agricultural and residential runoffs, dissipating as the cell operates in the water. The TIP team—composed of engineers Niel Jon Carl Aguel, Ana Luz Callao, Paul Vincent Nonat and Rowel Facunla led by Dr. Drandreb Earl O. Juanico—first conceptualized iLawà in 2016 to address energy-related problems that the island of Talìm in the middle of Laguna Lake has been experiencing. Their earliest prototype received a recognition in 2017, bagging them an award from a nongovernment organization advocating sustainable energy. Seeing the potential of the renewable energy innovation, the TIP team pushed for its enhancement and received funding support from the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST’s) Technicom Program for prototype development, field testing, and market validation, with monitoring efforts from
DOST's Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD). With the DOST support, the team was able to optimize the prototype with its cell volume and mass reduced by 90 percent and 73 percent, respectively, while increasing power output by 89 percent. These technical improvements lead to greater potential uses that require higher electrical power levels. The team behind iLawà has currently forged several partnerships among material suppliers for the commercialization phase. It also gained technology adopters—such as the Federation ng Mangingisda ng Bayan ng Binangonan, a fisherfolk cooperative that operates in Barangay Ithan, municipality of Binangonan in Rizal province. The TIP team envisions that the widespread adoption of iLawà will promote aluminum recycling and help remediate polluted lake waters. The release of phosphates through chemical reaction in the battery will improve water quality. It will minimize fish kills in lakes and enhance the fishing livelihood in lake towns. PCIEERD Executive Director Enrico Paringit said “the conscious efforts of TIP to boost the livelihood of Filipino fisherfolks by developing a durable, costeffective innovation, will not only technology produce clean energy but also improve lake environments. We look forward to seeing iLawà light up Philippines’ aquacultural areas, rivers, and even coastal waters,” he said. S&T Media Services
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rade 12-student Bryce Ainsley Sanchez of Grace Christian College bested over two dozen other finalists at the 23rd Philippine Mathematical Olympiad (PMO) held online last March 19 to 20, earning the top title for the third year in a row. First-runner-up Steven Reyes of Saint Jude Catholic School, also a Grade 12 student, is a consistent national finalist in previous PMOs. He well as a silver medalist in the International Physics Olympiad in 2018 and 2019. Meanwhile, the second runner up, Grade 10-student Raphael Dylan Dalida of Philippine Science High School-Main Campus, was the first runner up in last year’s PMO, as well as a bronze medalist alongside Sanchez at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) in the same year.
“Bryce’s achievement is all the more notable and exemplary given the challenges that everyone— most especially students like him and his fellow competitors—have had to face over the past year,” said Director Josette Biyo of the Department of Science and Technology's Science Education Institute, referring to the Covid-19 pandemic. “They all truly deserve to be called Filipino Olympians,” she added. “Mathematics truly knows no bounds, and our students and competitors are a living testament to this,” said Mathematical Society of the Philippines (MSP) president Emmanuel Cabral. The PMO is a long-standing tradition for the MSP, which has been organizing the Olympiad as an annual proving ground for some of the country’s brightest
Displaying his full mathematics arsenal, Bryce Ainsley Sanchez (center) followed his 2019 and 2020 wins by acing the 23rd PMO, edging out Saint Jude Catholic School's Steven Reyes (left, first runner-up), and PSHS-Main Campus's Raphael Dylan Dalida (second runner-up). DOST-SEI photo young minds for almost four decades. The competition is the Philippines’most prestigious nationwide mathematics competition for secondary
school students, who compete for the honor of representing the nation at the annual IMO.
S&T Media Service
11 SUCs academic execs join leadership program L
eaders of 11 higher education institutions (HEIs) from the State Universities and Co l l e g e s - A s s o c i a t i o n o f Co l l e g e s o f Agriculture in the Philippines are honing their skills at an executive course led by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) in partnership with Singapore-based The HEAD Foundation (THF). “Searca’s current five-year strategic agenda focuses on accelerating transformation through agricultural innovation. Capacity development of leaders of agricultural HEIs is one avenue through which Searca contributes to accelerating systemic transformation,” said Searca Director Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio in a news release. Meanwhile, THF is an international charitable organization that supports capacity-building programs designed to equip leaders with practical
skills to address pressing challenges. D u b b e d “ U p Yo u r G a m e : Le a d e r s h i p Development Program for HEIs in the Philippines,” the executive course kicked off last April 21 and will run until June 7. Gregorio said the program challenges the participating higher education leaders to level up in the key areas of leadership, graduate preparedness, technology and faculty readiness to face the growing number of challenges of HEIs. He explained that among these challenges are massification, diversification, internationalization and marketization of higher education. The participants are 29 vice presidents, campus executive directors, college deans, and other academic executives from Cagayan State University, Capiz State University, Cavite State University, Cebu Technological University,
Ce n t r a l Lu z o n S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y, Ce n t r a l Mindanao University, Central Philippines State University, Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology, University of Eastern Philippines, University of the Philippines Los Baños, and Visayas State University. “As an Asean member state, the Philippines needs to keep in step with the Asean International Mobility for Students initiative, gain recognition through the Asean University Rankings system, and prepare themselves for the unique local and regional challenges that come with the Asean Economic Community agenda,” Gregorio said. “Education plays a vital part in a country's competitive edge,” said Dr. J. Prospero de Vera III, chairman of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). He pointed out that “regardless of differences
across the globe, education continues to be a very important and long-term intervention in ensuring sustainable development. It is not only a public good, but also a strategy for social cohesiveness.“ De Vera commended Searca for continuing its mandate to provide capacity and institutional strengthening, which CHED also promotes. He expressed hope that the program “will be filled with interesting discussions, thoughtprovoking questions, and innovative ideas as we plan to make our instruction, extension, research and administration accessible to all and deliver in ways that encourage our stakeholders to develop higher order thinking, work in crosscultural contex ts, come up with innovative solutions to changing problems, use technology to work together effectively, and become more responsible Filipinos and Asean citizens.”
Faith A6 Sunday, May 9, 2021
Sunday
Editor: Lyn Resurreccion • www.businessmirror.com.ph
Abortion issue: Bishops’ pressing Biden not to take Communion deepens divide in Catholic Church
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resident Joe Biden is the highest-profile and most powerful lay Catholic in American life today—but he also holds policy views that diverge from many Catholic bishops. And that is causing some problems. The dilemma looks like this. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that abortion is the taking of a human life, no different from murder, and so grave a sin that it incurs an automatic excommunication. Yet prominent Roman Catholics in public life—including Democrats such as Biden and House Speaker Nanc y Pelosi—suppor t abor tion rights. It has led to concern from some Catholic bishops that a contradictory picture of Catholic faith is being presented to the public. In response, US bishops reportedly are preparing a pastoral statement expected to be released in June that would instruct Catholics about when they should and should not receive Communion. The effect of that document would be to exclude Catholics like Biden and Pelosi from full participation in the church. Communion, also known as the Eucharist, is the central act of Roman Catholic worship in which Catholics receive bread and wine that they believe becomes the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Church law particularly excludes
from taking Communion those who are guilty of what is known as “manifest grave sin.” This means no one who has committed a serious sin in a way that is publicly visible should receive Communion. The bishops argue that being prochoice, Democrats like Joe Biden have made themselves unsuitable to take Communion. As a scholar who studies Catholicism in political life, I argue that the proposed pastoral statement reflects existing divisions inside the Catholic Church that have been heightened by the election of Biden as president. Moreover, it will serve only to deepen the divide.
Greater authority? Joe Biden is a devoted Catholic, attending Mass weekly and carrying a ros a r y e ve r y whe re he go es. He h a s t a l ked m a ny t i mes about how i mp or t a nt h i s f a it h i s to h i m . But his policy position on abortion jars with more conservative elements in the Catholic Church. In October 2019, a priest declined to give Communion to the then-presidential candidate when he presented himself at St. Anthony Church in Florence, South Carolina. The priest, who had never met Biden before, told reporters, “Any public figure who advocates for abortion places himself or herself outside
Msgr. William Koenig is introduced as the bishop-elect of Wilmington, Delaware, during a news conference at the Cathedral of Saint Peter on April 30 in Wilmington, Delaware. Koenig will replace Bishop Francis Malooly, 77. The newly appointed bishop of Joe Biden’s home diocese in Delaware said he would speak with the US president about his views on abortion but did not say whether he would allow him to continue receiving Communion, as his predecessor has. Don Blake/TheDialog.org via AP of church teaching.” The picture is not as clear as that priest suggests, and the Catholic Church’s history of dealing with Catholic public officials is more inconsistent.
Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, for example, presided over a brutal regime of atrocities and torture known throughout the world, yet he received a Catholic burial in 1975 over which the archbishop of Toledo presided. More pertinent to the Biden case, Pope John Paul II gave Communion in 2001 to Rome’s mayor, Franceso Rutel li, who had campaig ned to libera lize abor tion laws. Li kew ise, Pope Bened ict X V I gave Communion to Rudolph Giuliani, Nancy Pelosi and John Kerry—all of whom support abortion rights. The reason the issue has come up now in the US appears to be more about concerns among bishops over their waning influence. Kansas City Archbishop Joseph Naumann, chairman of the US bishops’ committee on pro-life activities and one of the main figures supporting a pastoral statement about Communion, told The Associated Press, “Whether intentional or not, [Biden is] trying to usurp our authority.” “He doesn’t have the authority to teach what it means to be Catholic,” Naumann continued; “that’s our responsibility as bishops.” Naumann may have reasons to be concerned. A 2019 poll found that 63 percent of American Catholics have lost trust in Catholic bishops because of their handling of the still-ongoing crisis of sexual abuse.
To many Catholics, Biden’s presentation of Catholic faith as aligning with racial justice, economic justice, climate justice and health-care justice offers a pointed contrast with bishops mired in scandal and unhappy about trends such as same-sex marriage in American culture. Denver A rchbishop Samuel J. Aquila wrote in mid-April about the need to establish “Eucharistic coherence” through a pastoral statement that would state when someone like Biden should not present himself for Communion. It seems as though, to many bishops like Aquila, that is the solution to their dilemma over Biden. But not all bishops agree. Chicago’s Cardinal Blase Cupich wrote a private letter to Aquila expressing his reservations. The letter was leaked after it was received, making divisions among the bishops more visible.
Communion ‘not a prize’ The proposed document about “Eucharistic coherence” is expected to come before the US Conference of Catholic Bishops in June—a move that likely will highlight even more the split within the church. But even if the pastoral statement is approved, the conference has no authority to enforce it on any particular bishop. The result would be an incoherent patchwork allowing each individual
bishop to decide. Washington’s Cardinal Wilton Gregory already has indicated he will not prevent Biden from receiving Communion. Only the Vatican has the right to enforce the pastoral statement on every bishop—but that almost certainly will not happen. Pope Francis previously has made his view clear that the Eucharist “is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak.” As such, the pastoral statement could serve only to highlight differences among many American bishops and the pope. It also could backfire as an attempt to wrestle back authority for US bishops. A preelection debate over the sincerity of Biden’s Catholicism proved divisive among the faithful. Biden, through baptism and participation in the other sacraments, is a Catholic. There is no question about that. Because they ref lect intense divisions in the church, these efforts to d isqua lif y the president f rom t he sac ra ments a nd t he c hu rc h are, I believe, a threat to church author it y tod ay. Nothing that furthers or deepens those divisions will help the bishops or the Catholics that they lead. Steven
P. Millies, Catholic Theological Union/The Conversation (CC)
Filipino bishops entrust PHL to St. Joseph P
Archbishop Charles John Brown (center), Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, meets the members of the AMRSP Joint Executive Board at the Nunciature in Manila on January 19. AMRSP photo
AMRSP changes name to Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines
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he Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP) is changing its name after 50 years. The recent AMRSP biennial joint online convention decided on a modification of its name into a “more inclusive” denomination: Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines (CMSP). Franciscan Fr. Cielito Almazan, AMRSP cochairman, said the decision was made “to reflect the more inclusive nature of the body.” As early as February 2020, the association’s joint executive board began discussing the proposal to change the name of the association. Fr. Almazan said the matter was also brought up in their first virtual general assembly in September last year. After more than a year of consultation, he said the proposal was adopted with the help of Fr. Elias Ayuban, the Provincial Superior of the Claretian Missionaries of the Philippine Province. A canon lawyer, Fr. Ayuban worked for many years at the Vatican’s Congregation for Institutes
of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life until 2019. “He walked us through the rationale, the process and the implications of this change of name,” said Fr. Almazan, whose co-chair is Sr. Marilyn Java, RC. This year’s online convention was held from April 28 to 30, with Brazilian Cardinal João Braz de Aviz, prefect of Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, as their keynote speaker. Formed in December 1970, AMRSP is a joint forum of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of Men in the Philippines and the Association of Major Religious Superiors of Women in the Philippines, founded in 1955 and 1957, respectively. For many decades, the association served as a common voice for men and women religious and an advocate for their individual charisms. To date, the AMRSP membership counts 292 women congregations and 99 men congregations.
Roy Lagarde/CBCP News
Muslim Bosnia miners break fast underground during Ramadan
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ENICA, Bosnia-Herzegovina—Groups of men are preparing for long hours of hard labor deep underground in a trouble-plagued coal mine in Bosnia’s central city of Zenica. During Islam’s holy month of Ramadan, observant Muslims among them are easy to spot. Arriving for their shift and assembling for a roll call before riding an elevator into the mine tunnels, they carry with them transparent plastic bags containing simple meals brought from home with which they will break their daily fast 500 meters (1,640 feet) below the surface. During Ramadan, observant Muslims abstain from eating, drinking and smoking from dawn until sunset and Zenica coal miners are no exception. For the entire duration of the Muslim holy month, they go about their normal work routine, insisting they feel no exceptional hunger, thirst or exhaustion. “For someone who does not want to observe the fast, it is always easy to find an excuse. We work hard, it is hot here, but we want to observe the fast and Allah gives us strength to endure,” said Salih Doglod, a miner. Inside mine shafts, one can’t see sunset, but miners consult their watches and smartphones for the right time to sit down, unwrap their food and break their daily fast together.
After a quick meal, one of the miners issues a call to prayer and the men break into groups of two or three before returning to their difficult and dangerous job. Bosnia’s coal mines, including the one in Zenica, have been badly maintained, and have seen almost no investment and modernization as the region was engulfed in an ethnic conflict in the 1990s. In 2014, Fuad Hadzic survived a deadly collapse in the Zenica mine and insists it had only strengthened his faith. At the time, several mine tunnels collapsed leaving him and 33 other miners, including five killed by the rubble, trapped underground for hours. “May it never repeat or happen to anyone else, but the people of faith among us trusted that God would save us, and we were saved by God,”Hadzic said. “We were saying all the prayers we knew out loud and telling one another to just keep praying because we knew only God can save us,” he recalled. Hadzic insists that God protected him in the most dangerous hours of his life and has always been giving him strength to observe his religion. “I am working in this same mine for 30 years and with God’s help I always fast during Ramadan. I do not find it difficult at all,” he said. AP
hilippine Catholic bishops have placed the nation under the special patronage of St. Joseph on May 1, his feast day. Led by Archbishop Romulo Valles, president of the bishops’conference, the national act of consecration was live-streamed from the San Pedro Cathedral in Davao City. The consecration began with a rosary led by Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Midyphil Billones from the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City. In addition to the thousands who viewed the live streaming, many cathedrals allowed for limited in-person attendance consistent with physical distancing and face mask requirements. Masses were then held in different churches across the country to celebrate the feast of Jesus’ earthly dad. Prior to the consecration, a 33-day spiritual preparation was set up in the country’s 86 dioceses. In Cebu, Archbishop Jose Palma said the consecration to St. Joseph is also asking him to help us love the virtues that strengthen families, churches and communities. “We find meaning in coming to St. Joseph. In believing that just as he was called by God to be the guardian of the Holy Family, we plead for his intercession to journey with us, to assist us in difficult times,”Palma said. “We come to St. Joseph in this Act of Consecration. It is our way of saying, ‘St. Joseph, just as God has appointed you to care for the Holy Family, make us as well your family,’” he said. To foster more devotion to the spouse of the Blessed Virgin, Pope Francis had declared a year dedicated to St. Joseph in December 2020.
Archbishop Romulo Valles, CBCP president, leads the National Consecration to St. Joseph from the San Pedro Cathedral in Davao City on May 1. CBCP News The consecration of the nation to St. Joseph is one of the initiatives launched on the occasion of the special year, which culminates on December 8, 2021. The celebration was also aimed to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of St. Joseph as patron of the Universal Church by Pope Pius IX.
Vatican adds 7 invocations to Litany of St. Joseph
At the same time, the Vatican’s divine worship office announced the addition of seven new invocations to
the Litany of St. Joseph. The seven invocations, in Latin, are Custos Redemptoris, Serve Christi, Minister salutis, Fulcimen in difficultatibus, Patrone exsulum, Patrone afflictorum, and Patrone pauperum. The new invocations of St. Joseph can be translated in English as Guardian of the Redeemer, Servant of Christ, Minister of Salvation, Support in Difficulties, Patron of Refugees, Patron of the Afflicted, and Patron of the Poor. The Congregation for Divine Worship and the
Discipline of the Sacraments wrote a letter to the presidents of bishops’ conferences on May 1, the feast of St. Joseph the Worker, explaining the inclusion of the new invocations. “On the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, published the Apostolic Letter Patris corde, with the aim ‘to increase our love for this great saint, to encourage us to implore his intercession and to imitate his virtues and his zeal,’” the congregation said. “In this light,” it added, “it appeared opportune to update the Litany in honor of Saint Joseph, approved by the Apostolic See in 1909, by integrating seven new invocations drawn from the interventions of the popes who have reflected on aspects of the figure of the Patron of the Universal Church.” The additions to the Litany of St. Joseph were approved by Pope Francis. The bishops’ conferences will be responsible for the translation and publication of the updated litany in their local languages, the divine worship congregation stated. Bishops’conferences can also, according to their own prudential judgement, introduce other invocations by which St. Joseph is honored in their countries. A litany is a type of repetitive, petitionary prayer, often invoking the intercession of the saints or the Virgin Mary under different titles approved by the Church. CBCP News and Hannah Brockhaus/
Catholic News Agency
Francis quashes Vatican ‘envelope’ culture with ban on gifts over $50
V
ATICAN—As par t of a sweeping new anticorruption law, Pope Francis on Thursday declared that officials of the Roman Curia should no longer accept personal gifts with a monetary value over €40 (about $50). The new rule appears to be an effort to quash the Vatican “envelope” culture, in which large monetary donations are made to bishops and cardinals working in the Roman Curia. These gifts have been blamed for contributing to corruption in the Church when they were used between high-level Church officials to seek favors, most notably in cases like that of ex-cardinal Theodore McCarrick. The new directive says that Vatican officials must not “accept or solicit, for oneself or for subjects other than the Entity in which they serve, for reasons or on the occasion of one’s office, gifts, presents or other benefits of a value exceeding €40.” Pope Francis’ April 29 apostolic letter, issued in the form of motu proprio (“on his own impulse”), added this rule to the General Regulation of the Roman Curia, along with other requirements ensuring that Vatican personnel who handle the Vatican’s economic affairs are not involved in financially corrupt or illegal behavior. In the motu proprio on“provisions on transparency in the management of public finance,”Pope Francis said that, “according to Scripture, fidelity in small things is related to fidelity in important ones.” Referencing Luke 16:10 , he added, “just as being
The dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. Vatican Media
dishonest in matters of little consequence is also related to being dishonest in important matters.” The pope said the new law was intended to bring the Holy See and Vatican City State further in line with international best practices on corruption and financial transparency, building off of his May 2020 motu proprio on transparency in the awarding of public contracts. The new measures were necessary to “prevent and fight, in every sector, conflicts of interest, methods
of patronage and corruption in general,” Francis said. He added that those who work in or are connected to the Vatican “have a par ticular responsibility to make concrete the fidelity of which the Gospel speaks, acting according to the principle of transparency and in the absence of any conflict of interest.” Under the new regulation, the cardinals leading dicasteries or other offices, and senior management and administrators of the Holy See and Vatican City
State, whose jobs require handling money, will be required to sign a document every two years attesting that they and their finances are not connected to crime. In the statement, they must declare that they do not hold shareholdings or interests in companies that operate “with purposes and in sectors contrary to the Social Doctrine of the Church.” They must also attest that all goods owned by them originate from lawful activities and are not the profit or product of crime. In addition, they must say that they have never been convicted of a crime and are not under any criminal trial or investigation for crimes of corruption, fraud, terrorism, money laundering, tax evasion, trafficking, exploitation of minors, or participation in a criminal organization. The employee or official must also declare that they do not hold any cash or investments, including shareholdings or interests, in companies and businesses on a list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes, or in countries considered at high risk for money laundering or terrorist financing. The declaration will be held in the Secretariat for the Economy’s employee files and a copy will be kept in the Secretariat of State. The Secretariat for the Economy is authorized to verify the truth of the statements and false declarations will be subject to “a serious disciplinary offense.” The new regulations must be enforced within 90 days of the law’s publication. Hannah Brockhaus/
Catholic News Agency
Biodiversity Sunday BusinessMirror
Asean Champions of Biodiversity Media Category 2014
Sunday, May 9, 2021
Editor: Lyn Resurreccion
A7
Are seahorses going the way of pangolins?
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By Jonathan L. Mayuga
n the 1970s and 80s, children would love to see the DC Comics’ fictional superhero “Aquaman” riding a giant seahorse, communicating with the fabled creatures through mental telepathy in his epic adventures in the deep. Depicted in Greek mythology as a sea monster with the head and body of a horse and a dragon-like tail, the hippocampus or hippocamp, also called hippokampos, is a fascinating sea creature. It is commonly called as seahorse. Seahorses, however, are not mythical creatures as they are very real—and are actually endangered fish species.
Flagship species Project Seahorse, a marine conservation group dedicated to securing healthy and well-managed marine ecosystems, consider seahorses as a flagship species for a wide range of marine conservation issues. There are 46 known seahorse species, 10 of which naturally occur in the Philippines. Of its total known species, 14 are threatened by f ishing and habitat loss. Project Seahorse estimates that around 70 million seahorses are caught globally in unmanaged fisheries activities each year.
Quirky fish Seahorses have an uncommon trait wherein only the males get pregnant. They are monogamous and form faithful pairs with lengthy parental care, live in temperate and tropical seas, and dwell on corals, seagrasses, mangroves and estuaries. As such, they are important predators on bottom-dwelling animals. While they are voracious predators, seahorses have no stomach or teeth. They feed by sucking their prey in through a tubular snout and pass it through an inefficient digestive system, the Project Seahorse said.
Protected by law Two laws protect seahorses in the country—the Republic Act (RA) 8550 of May 17, 2001, or the Fisheries Code of the Philippines, and its amendatory law, RA 10654, or the Amended Fisheries Code; and RA 9147, or the Wildlife Act. On the other hand, they may be protected by local ordinances, particularly, those within fish sanctuaries and marine protected areas. On a bigger scale, the National
Integrated Protected Areas System Act, which protects wildlife within declared protected areas and national parks in the country, provides seahorses stronger protection.
Widely distributed, shrinking population Seahorses are widely distributed throughout the Philippine marine waters either in mangroves, seagrass beds, sandy sediments and hard/soft corals, said Marivic Pajaro, executive director of Daluhay Daloy ng Buhay Inc. based in Baler, Aurora province. Pajaro, whose nongovernment organization implements ridge-to-reef approach to environmental conservation, said many anecdotal accounts have indicated that the country had an abundant stock of seahorses, especially before the 1990s when the pressure from overfishing and habitat degradation took its toll on their population. Pajaro was the project leader and later coordinator in Bohol when Project Seahorse evolved and scaled up its interventions at a national scale Seahorses are extremely vulnerable from both natural threats and anthropogenic or environmental pollutants, Pajaro told the BusinessMirror via e-mail on April 22. “Seahorses have low mobility, low population density, small home ranges, low fecundity or fertility,” she said.
Not food, but medicine Pajaro said seahorses can be edible. But interviews with fishers during her research revealed that they are not palatable as food because of their bony plates rather than fleshy meat. Nevertheless, seahorses are exploited as they fetch a good price. They are exported either dried for use for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), or curios/souvenirs, and caught live for ornaments or aquarium display. “I have seen several fishers keep a couple of dried seahorses for use as folk medicine. They grill the dried seahorses and then pulverize them to be mixed in soup or water to treat ailments, especially asthma,” she said.
A woman shows a couple of dried seahorses she is selling to tourists. Gregg Yan
Live seahorse Danny Ocampo
Prey and predator; ecosystem function Se ahor ses are mainly carnivores, who wait to ambush their prey, Pajaro said. “As the prey comes close, they suck them with their long snouts. [Their] food are small crustaceans, fish fry and other planktonic invertebrates, small enough to fit into their snout,” she explained. Since seahorse adults can camouflage and are unpalatable, they don’t have many known predators, Pajaro added. “They have been reportedly found in stomachs of crabs [just the tails], sea turtles and water birds. However, the juveniles are great targets for food by other fishes and marine animals that are planktivorous, or those that eat organisms that are carried by tides and currents,” she said. As such, Pajaro noted, seahorses have strong relationships with their habitats. As such, they are good icons to call attention to the marine conservation issues that need to be addressed. Hence, protecting them can benefit many other marine species and ecosystems, she added.
PHL a seahorse exporter In the Philippines, 1.7 million seahorses are captured every year, according to the 2019 Fisheries Centre Research Report on the catch and trade of seahorses in the Philippines, that was prepared by the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries at the University of British Columbia, Canada. The illegal trade of seahorses in the country continued, mostly for export to Asian countries, despite the blanket ban on the trade of rare, threatened and endangered species, including seahorses, imposed by the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) with the passage of the Fisheries Code, along with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)-listed species.
Last March, 15 kilograms of dried seahorses valued at P460,000 was confiscated by authorities in Bacolod City.
Targeted species Seahorses are targeted species like the pangolins, the most trafficked animal in the world that is hunted for its meat and scales. In July 2020, wildlife trade monitoring network, Traffic, in a report titled, “Seahorse Trade Dynamics from Africa to Asia,” by Simone Louw and Markus Burgener, revealed the alarming scenario in the trade of seahorses. Using data extracted from the CITES Trade Database that documented volumes of seahorse trade and the countries involved, the report revealed that 11,259,098 seahorses have been exported over a 10-year period from 2008 to 2018. In the same 10-year period, 15,722,838 is the estimated total global number of imported among the species. Meanwhile, the top five countries or territories, accounting for 99 percent of the global reported exports in dried seahorses, were Thailand (71 percent), followed by mainland China (15 percent), Senegal (10 percent), Malaysia (2 percent) and Hong Kong (1 percent).
Fast disappearing In the Philippines, seahorses are fast disappearing in the wild. “When was the last time the average diver saw a wild seahorse in the Philippines? Stocks have been severely depleted by illegal fishing,” Gregg Yan, founder of Best Alternatives, said. Seahorses, according to Yan, have been targeted by TCM trade in at least 500 years. “As many as 20 million seahorses and pipefish are plucked out of the world’s seas yearly, with up to 4 million coming from the Philippines, which was a top exporter to China,” he lamented. Documenting various coastal fisheries throughout the country, Yan told the BusinessMirror via
Messenger on April 29 that many small-scale fishers passively collect seahorses, which have two things going against them—they swim slowly and they are attracted to light, which make night fishing simple and effective.
Best alternatives available Yan believes there are better, if not best alternatives, even to the “alternative medicine” that are pushing iconic animals around the world to the brink of extinction. Best Alternatives, an environment group, advocates for sciencebased medicinal alternatives to ground-up seahorses. “We’re not here to contest the effectiveness of [TCM], which has been evolving for hundreds of years,” Yan pointed out. “What we’re saying is that because the raw materials needed to make certain TCM products, like tiger bones, pangolin scales or dried seahorses are both legally protected and are fast running out, then we logically must start switching to sustainable and usually more affordable alternatives before these animals disappear completely,” he explained.
Protecting seahorses; trade regulations To protect and conserve the seahorses, and address illegal wildlife trade, the DA-BFAR said it promotes the protection of coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangrove forests through collaborations with the DA’s Biodiversity Management Bureau. “One of the priorities of DABFAR is the development of seahorse-specific management measures through the assistance of scientific authorities and the Philippine Aquatic Red List Committee, subject to the availability of funds,” the DA-BFAR told the BusinessMirror via e-mail on May 5. Some conservation actions for seahorses include the no-take Marine Protected Areas and the voluntary adoption of a 10-centimeter mini-
mum size limit by fishers. Meanwhile, the Aquatic Wildlife Regulator y Section of DABFAR’s Fisheries Regulatory and Licensing Division that is responsible for CITES-listed species regulates the scientific researches involving aquatic wildlife. DA-BFAR added that it implements strict border control measures in airports, seaports and land-based checkpoints to regulate the trade of aquatic wildlife and fishery products. For its part, Daluhay’s Pajaro said saving seahorses from extinction needs an integrated management approach that will require the help and support of stakeholders. She agreed with DA-BFAR on the need for the no-take marine protected areas and the setting of limits to the size and volume by using selective fishing gear. Thus, the stakeholders—the fishers, buyers, BFAR, local government agencies, academe/experts—need to be on board in the policy and decision-making, and in the monitoring, evaluation of these policies and their enforcement, she said. Pajaro warned that while seahorses may appear unimportant, if they become locally extinct it will upset the balance of nature, and can cause other organisms to suffer. “Several studies have indicated that a species richness in an area enhances ecosystem productivity and stability. The extinction of any species is an irreversible loss of the Earth’s biological richness, which the future generations will no longer enjoy,” she said. Thus, Pajaro said the extinction of seahorses will mean that its use to traditionally treat human ailments and its potential for new cures and drugs will be gone forever. Hence, seahorses can no longer contribute to important sources of income for subsistence fishers As they are related to mythical stories, unless their trade regulations are observed, they may soon become nothing but a myth.
ACB, S. Korea Embassy explore partnership on marine debris pollution
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he Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines are exploring areas for collaboration, including raising awareness on coastal and marine conservation in the country, where marine plastic pollution is causing environmental damage and posing health risks, an ACB and South Korean Embassy joint news release said. The South Korean government’s development cooperation agency, Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica), has recently launched a marine litter management program in the Philippines in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Philippine Coast Guard. The multi-year assistance from 2021 to 2025 is focused on establishing a marine litter monitoring system, stationing a clean-up vessel near Manila Bay, and enhancing marine litter management capacity in the Philippines. “Korea is glad to be contributing to the marine environmental protection in the Philippines, a country
widely known for its beautiful coral reefs and aquatic biodiversity,” said South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Kim Inchul. “Korea hopes that the marine litter management assistance will help mitigate risks posed by the increasing marine debris problem that many experts claim is undermining the marine landscape of the Philippine archipelago,” Kim said. A clean-up vessel, which will be donated by the South Korean government under the Koica project, is tentatively projected to arrive in the Philippines late next year upon completion of necessary procurement procedures. The clean-up vessel will be the first marine vessel dedicated to collect marine litter in the Philippines. The DENR noted that there is evident presence of marine litters or plastics floating at the Manila Bay, that was exacerbated during the Habagat Season (wet season) or strong typhoons, that are washed ashore. Meanwhile, as the World Bank Group recently published in March 2021, more than 75 percent of the
material value of the plastics, equivalent to $6 billion per year, is lost across three countries of Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand due to absence of recycling. Under a partnership between the South Korean government and the World Bank Group, the World Bank’s study on the Philippines was funded by the Korea Green Growth Trust Fund in efforts to support the mainstreaming of green growth through the World Bank’s lending operations. “Korea will continue to take part in the global efforts to address environmental issues through various multilateral and bilateral cooperation, ranging from hosting the upcoming 2021 P4G [Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals] Summit and collaborating with various UN agencies and international organizations to bilateral development cooperation with the Philippines on the protection of marine environment and biodiversity,” Kim said. South Korea will be hosting the P4G 2030 Summit on May 30 and 31, uniting heads of states, CEOs, investors and civil society leaders.
The South Korean government has also been in close cooperation with various international organizations to contribute to the preservation of marine environment in the region. ACB Executive Director Theresa Mundita Lim said the possible partnerships with South Korea on marine litter management would be aligned with the priorities of the Asean, under the Asean Working Group on Coastal and Marine Environment. “The Asean member-states have pledged to reduce and prevent marine debris as part of their commitments under the Bangkok Declaration Combating Marine Debris in the Asean Region. The region recognizes that marine pollution is a trans-boundary issue that requires integrated regional cooperation,” Lim said. She emphasized that pollution is one of the threats to marine biodiversity as thousands of animals are killed after ingesting or getting entangled in plastic products. The deterioration of ecosystems because of the waste pose tangible and negative impacts on the people’s health
and livelihoods, she added. Tackling the issue of marine debris is highly relevant today because of the growing concerns over the volumes of medical wastes generated by the Covid-19 pandemic response and the fear that some of these may end up in waterways and oceans. In a study published by ScienceDirect in September 2020, the average number of face masks used in 49 Asian countries in a day as of July 31, 2020, was estimated at 2.2 billion. “Innovative actions in properly disposing and managing waste, including those generated by the pandemic response, will help reduce marine litter that affects the health of our marine ecosystems and the capacity of our oceans to provide fisheries and food security, as well as to effectively serve as one of our natural solutions to climate change impacts,” Lim added. The ACB is set to conduct a study aimed at identifying entry points for regional action, such as support to cooperation for research and assessments, which may
help in protecting and recovering marine biodiversity threatened by marine litter. Lim likewise noted that South Korea’s continued efforts and leadership in green growth may be synchronized with ACB’s efforts to mainstream biodiversity into various sectors, including infrastructure and energy. For more than a decade, South Korea has been promoting policies focused on green growth, a development paradigm that creates a growth engine and job creation based on “green technology and clean energy.” South Korea’s Green New Deal that was announced last year, further elaborates on the areas of focus as the promotion of green transition of infrastructures, lowcarbon and decentralized energy and innovation in the green industry, the news release said. “We hope more businesses, through the help of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, will be our partners in our endeavor of integrating biodiversity considerations into plans and business models,” Lim said.
Sports BusinessMirror
A8 | S
unday, May 9, 2021 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao
BREAKING BARRIERS B AILIE BROWN doesn’t consider herself a trailblazer, and yet in a way she is— and so is her school. Brown will graduate this month from Syracuse University’s Falk College with a Bachelor of Science degree in sport analytics, becoming the first woman to complete the four-year undergraduate program since its inception five years ago. Her 23 classmates are men. “It’s definitely an honor,” Brown said. “I think that there’s a little bit of pressure that goes along with that. I think I feel like I need to be successful.” Syracuse University and California Baptist University in Los Angeles began offering a fouryear undergraduate course of study in sports analytics in 2016. Brown chose Syracuse after discovering the program by chance. “I was just kind of searching for different opportunities and ran across this one and knew immediately it was exactly where I wanted to go. There wasn’t any question,” said Brown, who was salutatorian of her high school class back home in Florence, South Carolina. “I’ve always loved sports, baseball in particular, and math in high-school was fun for me, for some reason, so it was kind of a no-brainer to put the two together.” The opportunity at Syracuse was there, thanks in large part to the efforts of professors Michael Veley, founding director of the university’s sport management program, and Rodney Paul, director of the sport analytics program. Falk College’s 275 applications for the incoming class in August are the most for the program, up more than 11 percent from 2020, and 31 are women, more than triple last year’s total of 10. Brown is in a good place at a seemingly opportune time. Women are gaining traction in management positions at the top echelons of professional sports, opening more doors for others to follow into a realm that’s been dominated by men.
“If you look at what’s going on in the sports world in general of women breaking down barriers that have been in existence for decades in terms of becoming a general manager of a major league baseball team, an official at an NFL [National Football League] game, women coaching men’s sports, it’s starting to open up opportunities,” said Veley, adding that the school also is achieving its goal of attracting more minorities and international students. “We feel that women in the analytics field can be pioneers.” Two years ago, Valerie Camillo became the first woman hired as president of an NHL franchise when she took the position with the Philadelphia Flyers. The Miami Marlins hired Kim Ng as general manager in October, the first female GM in the four major North American professional sports leagues. And in mid-April, Lucy Rushton, an analytics whiz, was hired as GM of DC United, just the second woman in Major League Soccer history to be a full-time general manager, after Lynne Meterparel with the San Jose Clash in 1999. “It’s scary to think that it’s taken a good 20 years for the next one,” Rushton said. “Obviously, it’s a bit of a privilege to be in that position. It kind of gives me that little bit extra incentive to kind of create a pathway for women going forwards. If I do a good job in my role, hopefully it does open up doors for other women.” That Brown isn’t an athlete didn’t faze her one bit. Her foundation was developed by going to her younger brother’s Little League games and asking questions, lots of questions. “I coached my son in Little League and she was always out there with us, asking me questions after the games and after practices,” said Ken Brown, Bailie’s dad. “We didn’t have the typical conversations. It was talking strategy about the game and what they should do. She has such a deep interest in the actual game and all the strategy. I’m very, very proud of her. She’s fulfilling her passion, basically.”
“I love it! That’s amazing,” added Jessica Gelman, a pioneer in her own right as CEO of Kraft Analytics Group in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and cofounder 15 years ago of MIT’s Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. “Analytics kind of evens the playing field for women, so I’m glad to see that there are women who are taking interest in pursuing this area. Obviously, the past few years there’s been a huge focus on enhanced equality for women and under-represented minorities. “I will be more excited when there’s an equal number of women graduating from the school,” said Gelman, who was a star basketball player at
Harvard. “But I think it’s certainly a great first step. One of the challenges is we’ve got to create the funnel at the beginning, that pipeline.” Rushton, a native of Reading, England, and a former soccer player for her hometown club (Reading FC), said she was surprised when she was hired a short time after receiving a Master’s degree in sports performance analysis from the University of Wales Institute in 2008. “You’re just waiting for that break and you just need someone to just take a risk on you,” she said. Brown, 21, already has found that someone. She’s completing her final college semester remotely
Aussie sports body apologizes over gymnastics controversy RODNEY PAUL, director of the sport analytics program, in the lab working with Bailie Brown, at the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics at Syracuse University. AP
because of Covid-19 restrictions in upstate New York, and that dovetails nicely with her new job working on baseball strategy as an operations apprentice with the Houston Astros, where Sarah Gelles is director of research and development. “I hope this is opening up more opportunities for more girls to come and follow in my footsteps and my classmates’ footsteps in the future so it’ll get to a point where it isn’t a big deal,” said Brown, who moved to Houston last month. “It’ll be normal for other women to be graduating with these kinds of degrees and to be able to go into fields such as these.” AP
NCAA reaches key moment as transgender laws multiply
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HE NCAA has reached a delicate moment: It must decide whether to punish states that have passed laws limiting the participation of transgender athletes by barring them from hosting its softball and baseball tournaments. Legislation requiring athletes to compete in interscholastic sports according to their sex at birth has been introduced in dozens of states this year, and governors have signed bills in Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and West Virginia. The Arkansas, Mississippi and West Virginia laws also cover college sports teams. The NCAA Board of Governors issued a statement April 12 saying it “firmly and unequivocally supports the opportunity for transgender student-athletes to compete in college sports.” “When determining where championships are held, NCAA policy directs that only locations where hosts can commit to providing an environment that is safe, healthy and free of discrimination should be selected,” the board added. “We will continue to closely monitor these situations to determine whether NCAA championships can be conducted in ways that are welcoming and respectful of all participants.” Last week, the NCAA announced a preliminary list of 20 schools being considered to host the early round of the NCAA softball tournament; the 16 regional sites will be announced when the field is unveiled May 16. The 20 potential regional sites for baseball will be announced next week and that list will be pared to 16 on May 31. Three of the possible softball hosts— Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee—are in states with signed transgender sports bans. “This is kind of where the rubber meets the road for the NCAA,” said Mac McCorkle, a Duke University professor of public policy. Karen Weaver, a former college field hockey coach and athletic administrator now on the faculty at Penn, called the NCAA statement as “wishy washy as you can get.” Weaver said the NCAA is in a precarious position because of separate, highly charged issues that are likely to impact its bedrock amateurism model: it is depending on Congress to create legislation allowing athletes to make money on use of their name, image or likeness. The Supreme Court also is considering a case weighing whether the NCAA’s prohibition on compensation for college athletes violates federal antitrust law. The NCAA’s statement on transgender sports bans was “carefully worded,” Weaver said, “and I think it’s a tenuous time to be taking any kind of stance that might be viewed as political because they’re trying to craft their future in the Congress and Senate with the NIL legislation.” “They’re trying to not tick off any potential folks who might vote for something that benefits the NCAA the most,” Weaver said. Jeff Altier, the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee chairman and the athletic director at Stetson, said last month that his committee had been given no directive to exclude any school from consideration for hosting a regional. Altier referred other questions to the NCAA. Gail Dent, spokeswoman for the Board of
Governors, did not respond to questions about the NCAA’s willingness to pull events out of states with bans. “It’s surprising the NCAA would say one thing, that they are monitoring it, and then select site locations that are in areas of the country that are doing anti-trans, anti-LGBTQ legislation,” said Shane Windmeyer, founder and executive director of Campus Pride, a national organization advocating for safer college environments for LGBT students. Windmeyer said the NCAA’s Office of Inclusion has been an ally. He said Campus Pride and similar organizations have received grants from the NCAA to fund diversity and inclusion summits and other programming. The NCAA has had policies in place since 2011 that allow for transgender participation in sports. Testosterone suppression treatment is required for transgender women to compete in women’s sports. Last year, following the Southeastern Conference’s lead, the NCAA announced it would not hold championship events in Mississippi unless a depiction of the Confederate flag was removed from the state flag. The Mississippi Legislature acted swiftly to remove the symbol. In 2016, the NCAA made good on its threat to pull championship events out of North Carolina in response to the “bathroom bill,” which required transgender people to use restrooms according to their sex at birth and not their gender identity. Greensboro lost first- and second-round games in the men’s basketball tournament in 2017; they were moved to Greenville, South Carolina. The law was repealed before the NCAA could take away more events. “When they got involved with the bathroom bill in North Carolina, that was, in my opinion, a bold step for them,” Weaver said. “I’m not seeing that same enthusiasm right now.” AP
M
ELBOURNE, Australia—The Australian Sports Commission has apologized to athletes treated inappropriately at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) following an independent review into gymnastics heard evidence of a toxic culture that contributed to physical, emotional and sexual abuse of young athletes. Multiple athletes detailed their negative experiences at the AIS in the report, including the organization’s heavy focus on the ideal body. One interviewee said: “As far as the AIS was concerned, the smaller and more petite you were, the better gymnast you made.” On Friday, the sports commission said it “offers our apology and ongoing support to former AIS athletes treated inappropriately in the past.” “We know incidents and practices occurred that are not acceptable. For this, we are truly sorry. We admire the courage of people who have come forward to share their stories.” Gymnastics Australia last August asked the Australian Human Rights Commission (HRC) to examine the sport’s culture and practices following complaints from at least 20 former gymnasts, including Olympic and Commonwealth Games medalists, about physical and mental abuse during their careers. The findings of the report were released Monday, with the Commission determining that the key drivers of the problems were: a “winat-all costs” approach, the young age of female gymnasts, a culture of control, and a tolerance of negative behaviors. Kate Jenkins, the Australian HRC’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner, said gymnasts shared experiences of abuse, misconduct and bullying and the review found “significant cultural challenges...cutting across coaching practices, the health, safety and well-being of gymnasts, complaints and investigations, and governance.” In a statement, Gymnastics Australia said it would adopt all 12 recommendations for improvement contained in the report and “unreservedly apologizes to all athletes and family members who have experienced any form of abuse participating in the sport.” More than 320,000 people are involved in gymnastics in Australia, with about threequarters being female. The report included 47 interviews with 57 participants and 138 written submissions from current and former athletes and their families, staff, coaches officials, and administrators. The call for the investigation followed the Dutch gymnastics federation’s decision to suspend its women’s training program to investigate allegations of intimidation and abuse, and other reviews in Britain, Japan and New Zealand. In the United States, hundreds of women came forward against Larry Nassar, the osteopathic physician who in his 29 years as the USA Gymnastics women’s team doctor used medical treatment as a guise for molesting hundreds of young athletes. He was sentenced to 40 to 125 years in prison in 2018. AP
VICTORY BUMP
Tampa Bay Rays’ Mike Brosseau (right) and Willy Adames celebrate their team’s 8-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels in a Major League Baseball game before the weekend in Anaheim, California.
BusinessMirror
May 9, 2021
The U.K.’s future may be in the hands of Scotland’s rebel youth
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: Bernard P. Testa Nonie Reyes
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While the original recording’s stop-and-go and slightly bluesy arrangement served as a showcase for the already powerful vocals of the 14-year old Angel, Noela’s more seasoned pipes provide the new uptempo version with a soaring, anthemic feel. Yes, her name may not ring a bell to a lot of people but if Noela sounds like a very experienced singer and performer, it’s because she is. The 25-year old native of Bacoor, Cavite has in fact, been singing professionally since she joined Eat Bulaga’s Pambato ng Videoke competition in 2011 where she won P15,000. Three years later, she was adjudged champion in a corporatesponsored competition. Performing overseas has further fine-tuned not only Noela’s singing but also her strong and confident stage presence which allowed her to develop a sultry, sexy image as reflected in her showstopping official music video for “Sandalan.” The official music video for “Sandalan” features a mansion for a setting that complements Noela’s look and imposing aura. Dressed in white and then in black, the diva-ish performer pours out her emotions in the song. The clip exudes a fairy tale vibe as Noela is partnered with a dashing prince-like dude, before she is later seen performing with the Apat Band, the same set of musicians heard on the record. Directed by Ramie Seron, the music video was shot on location
in Tarlac following pandemic protocols. Asked about her thoughts on the song, Noela described her interpretation of “Sandalan” as produced by livelihood and talent advocate Pat Achas, as “a representation of a strong, brave and dependable woman who will and can do anything for someone she loves, whether it’s a person, her passion or her dream.” “It is a reflection of what I can do as a woman and it is a song of power and bravery,” Noela further declared. Looking back on her passion for pop music, Noela shared that it all started with her admiration for Britney Spears and remembers memorizing the latter’s debut album when she was only four years old. She also recalls studying the hits of Aegis and Regine Velasquez,
NOELA Amparo and her Apat Band
OPM icons known for their powerhouse vocals. An alumna of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines where she earned her degree in public relations, Noela said that her desire to pursue a career in music had the unequivocal support of her friends. “My friends always support and encourage me to pursue my singing career and I owe it to them that I kept trying. I am totally happy, fulfilled and proud of my career choices.” Asked about her experiences in performing abroad, Noela laments that it’s unfortunate that there are many talented Filipinos who are more appreciated outside the Philippines than in their own home country. “Mas maraming nakakaappreciate ng performers and musicians abroad than here sa atin. Maybe because most Filipinos can sing. Foreigners like to hear soft music not unlike here na kapag hindi mataas ang boses mo, hindi ka makikilala.” Noela Amparo hopes to change all that starting with “Sandalan” but even before she recorded the song, the indefatigable performer has already developed her own following through her own live streaming channel called Apat TV. In this platform, Noela posts her travels across social media platforms, and sings classic hits with her musically inclined father. Just like Angel Andal’s original recording, Noela Amparo’s version of “Sandalan” is now available on major streaming platforms.
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soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com | MAY 9, 2021
BUSINESS
SoundSampler
PINOY FIRST
by Tony M. Maghirang
‘P-Pop’ boy band SB19 Nominated in Billboard Music Awards 2021
SB19 (Photo from SB19’s Instagram page)
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INOY pop group SB 19 capped an incredible run to the top with their latest nomination as Top Social Artist at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards (BBMAs). They will vie for the honor pit against four other finalists namely Ariana Grande, BTS, Blackpink, and Seventeen. The Billboard Music Awards for Top Social Artist is one of three categories based on fan votes. According to Billboard, among the criteria for nomination are key fan interactions with music to include social media engagement, online streaming, radio play and results of voting by fans around the world. Previous winners of the BMMAs’ Top Social Artist honors are Justin Bieber who ruled the award from 2011
to 2016 and K-pop global phenomenon BTS who had their own winning streak from 2017 to 2020.
‘Sound Break’ 19
SB19 consists of Pablo, Josh, Justin, Stell, and Ken. The allFilipino group debuted in 2018 under SnowBTPhilippines and have since made a sensational presence in the music scene here and abroad. Pioneering their own genre they and now fans refer to as “P-Pop,” these
lads have lived up to the meaning behind their name SB19 to signify their mission to break into the local music industry and the vision to set a higher bar for the next generation of OPM artists. Over the past two years, they slowly made their mark on the charts with hits like “Alab,” “Hanggang sa Huli,” “‘Wag Mong Ikunot ang Iyong Noo,” “Love Goes,” and “Ikako” which topped Billboard’s LyricFind Global chart. Their debut album Get In the Zone dropped in mid-2020 and entered the US @iTunes Top Albums chart hours after release. It immediately dominated online music platforms. In a press statement, Sony Music, SB 19’s record label, said the highly anticipated debut album “pushes the envelope of pop music. Mashing together various music influences with top-tier production and global appeal, the nine-track release features six original compositions, along with the EDM version of “Love Goes” and two instrumental songs.
Sony Music pointed out that thematically speaking, Get in the Zone maps their creative and personal journey. The band added, “We wanted to incorporate all the things that we have experienced during trainee days into this album by putting all the emotions that we went through into our music. It was an emotional rollercoaster, but we pulled through and we hope that we get to inspire people with our story.” In March this year, SB 19 released their comeback single titled “What?” which is likely the first new music from the band for their upcoming sophomore album. It trended in social media as expected but more than that, the song itself suggests a mature, more agile five piece rewiring their K-Pop roots to the contemporary issues that foreground Original Pilipino Music today.
The lyrics goes:
‘DI na bala para iangat ang bandera Bara na sa puso niyo na ang tatama (bang) Ama, salamat at Ikaw ang agimat Bawat banat, iwagayway mo’ng watawat The accompanying martial music by way of EDM implies a louder, bolder, bigger sounding SB 19 is rising. The future looks massive. The 2021 Billboard Music Awards will air live on NBC on May 23 from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
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The UK’s future may be in the hands of Scotland’s rebel youth By Katharine Gemmell
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Bloomberg
obyn Graham was too young to vote in Scotland’s 2014 independence referendum, and now she’s determined to get her chance in another one. The 19-year-old law and politics student at the University of Glasgow is among a generation of youth for whom the political landscape has been dominated by the constitutional future of the three-centuriesold United Kingdom. To her, it’s not a matter of if, but when Scotland breaks away. “I’m sure we will grow old in an independent Scotland,” said Graham, national secretary of the youth wing of the Scottish National Party, which has run the country’s semi-autonomous government since she was five years old. Scotland held an election on May 6 that had become a pitched battle over whether the nation should get another say on its place in the UK after Brexit. Polls predicted the pro-independence camp to win big and intensify a standoff with the government in London. The problem for the integrity of the UK is that the demographics look increasing stacked against it the longer the wrangling rumbles on. While Scotland is roughly evenly split between support for independence and remaining in the UK, its rebel youth is disproportionately in favor of going it alone. John Curtice, Britain’s most prominent psephologist, calls it a gradual
The British Union flag and the national flag of Scotland outside the Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh, UK, on April 25. Bloomberg erosion of the foundations of support for the union. A recent YouGov poll found that 70 percent of people age 18-24 would vote “yes” in an independence referendum when excluding “don’t knows.” A Believe In Scotland poll, commissioned by PanelBase, showed that the disparity with older voters ran even deeper: It found 72 percent of voters between 16—the minimum voting age in Scotland—and 35 would vote “yes.” The problem for Prime Minister Boris Johnson—or indeed subsequent leaders— is that the issue is unlikely to fade away. His current stance is that the 2014 ballot, when Scots decided by 55 percent to 45 percent to remain in the UK, was a once-ina-generation event. But Scots voted more emphatically to stay in the European Union two years later, and across the UK under25s were more than twice as likely to want to remain in the bloc than leave. “The support for independence is entwined with the attitude toward Brexit, so it’s not a surprise now that the younger
demographic want to be independent,” said Curtice, a professor of politics at Strathclyde University. The Conservatives are split over what the response should be: Continue to ignore the SNP’s demands for another independence vote, or buy time by devolving new powers and offering more investment as the UK builds out of the pandemic. ‘Democratic deficit?’ Cameron Glasgow, 20, echoes the claim by Nicola Sturgeon, who leads the SNP and the Scottish government, that it’s a matter of democratic deficit. No region of Scotland voted for Brexit. Johnson’s Conservatives haven’t won the most seats in an election in the country, formerly a Labour Party stronghold before it was ousted by the SNP, since 1955. “It’s not that I believe in it for independence’s sake,” said Glasgow, a member of the pro-independence Scottish Greens from the town of Livingston. “The majority of my life has been lived under a Tory gov-
Celebrating the creation of ‘robot’
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n an era defined by fast-moving digital transformations and technological innovations, the word ‘robot’ has become a staple in the everyday vocabulary. But what do we know about its etymology? The term was first used in a 100-year-old play by Czech playwright Karel Čapek, titled Rossumovi Universal ni Roboti (Rossum’s Universal Robots). While Karel was credited to be the first person to have used the term, it was his brother Josef, a cubist painter, who had come up with the term that came from the Slavic word robota, which means “serfdom” or “forced labor.” The word perfectly suits Čapek’s three-act drama, popularly known as R.U.R. Čapek was an emerging literary star in Czechoslovakia at the time of writing of the play when he used “robot” to describe the “artificial workers” and “living and intelligent working machines.” R.U.R skillfully portrays the potential vicious influence of technology to society where modernity is controlled not by ideas and
values, but self-confident and ruthless intellect and greed. The play was staged for the first time at the Czech National Theatre on January 25, 1921, and has since been translated and performed in more than 30 countries. To mark R.U.R’s centennial celebration, the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Manila in partnership with Ateneo de Naga University Press recently published the Filipino translation of R.U.R., translated by the late Filipino novelist, playwright, and short story writer, Rogelio Sicat. Designed by Ryan Cuatrona, the book also contains illustrations by John Sherwin Acampado. “It is our aim and passion at the Czech Embassy in Manila to promote the usage of mother tongue in the Philippines and to introduce masterpieces of Czech language in local languages,” says Czech Ambassador Jana Šedivá. “R.U.R. by Karel Čapek is a real jewelry of Czech classical literature and I am pleased that Filipino readers can now
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read this extraordinary book in Filipino.” “This translation of Karel Čapek by one of the country’s topmost Filipino writers, Rogelio Sicat, is a welcome addition to the growing titles we have that is borne out of the friendship between the Embassy of Czech Republic and the Ateneo de Naga University Press,” says Kristian Cordero, deputy director of Ateneo de Naga University Press. Literature played an important role in the cultural relations of the Czech Republic and the Republic of the Philippines where there had been a rich growth of exchange, translation, and publication of both Czech and Filipino literatures over the past years. Among the previously published books with Ateneo de Naga University Press are Patid: Mga Kontemporaneong Kwento ng mga Czech at Slovak na Manunulat, and Malikmata: Mga Kuwentong Kababalaghan Mula Czech Republic. Limited copies of the books are sold at Savage Mind Bookshop in Naga City, Camarines Sur. May 9, 2021
ernment that Scotland has never voted for.” The shifting generational perspective could be down to what young Scots have been brought up with. Many weren’t old enough—or not yet born—to remember a time when Scotland was solely run from London before the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood in Edinburgh was reestablished in 1999. Then they witnessed the rise of the SNP, an independence referendum that engaged, as well as divided the country and a Brexit vote that underscored differences with England. There are still young people fighting for Scotland’s future within the union. Jack Norquay, now 22, was a teenage activist in the Better Together campaign in 2014 on the Orkney Islands off the north coast of Scotland. In his region, a Liberal Democrat stronghold, people feel just as disconnected from Edinburgh as they do London, he said. However, the Brexit vote has made many of his pro-UK cohort look at Scottish independence. “People are more open to the idea than they used to be,” he said. “Possibly not solidly ‘yes,’ but more open minded.” Young independence supporters are not unaware of the warnings that leaving the UK could be financially ruinous and unleash years of negotiations on forming a new state. But, for some, any dire predictions are less relevant after Brexit went ahead despite warnings of the economic consequences. “Scottish independence is literally priceless,” said Matt Qvortrup, professor of politics at Coventry University who served as a special adviser to the UK Parliament on constitutional affairs. “For young people, to be a supporter of Scottish independence is to say ‘I’m progressive.’” With assistance from Alastair Reed